Ankush Sabharwal is on a mission to create India’s first sovereign AI, Bharat GPT. He believes that for an AI to truly reflect the country, it must be built on Indian data, with all parameters tailored to local needs.
India is incredibly diverse, home to over 22 official languages and countless dialects. This makes local data crucial for understanding nuances. Bharat GPT aims to gather vast amounts of this data – text, voice, and video – to enhance its AI model.
While many AI projects globally pursue oversized models packed with trillions of parameters, Sabharwal argues for smaller, purpose-driven models. He points out that the largest models can consume massive amounts of energy and present risks of errors, or “hallucinations,” where the AI produces outputs that aren’t factual. In contrast, a targeted model like Bharat GPT is designed to be efficient and responsive, emphasizing the importance of purpose over sheer size.
Sabharwal’s approach aims to avoid the “one-size-fits-all” AI model, which often fails in a country as heterogeneous as India. He insists on the importance of collaboration with industry experts for developing specific applications, whether for insurance or banking. This method ensures that Bharat GPT meets real-world needs effectively.
When comparing Bharat GPT with international models like ChatGPT, Sabharwal points to the importance of local context and security. He highlights that their AI model can operate directly on devices, keeping sensitive data secure—a vital feature for sectors like finance or government.
However, developing focused AI models doesn’t come without challenges. Adoption might be slow as companies and users may still have high expectations shaped by larger global models. Additionally, maintaining linguistic and cultural diversity in a scalable manner poses its own set of hurdles.
As AI continues to evolve, strategies like Bharat GPT’s offer a refreshing alternative, emphasizing localized understanding and purpose-driven design. For further insights on the growing importance of localized AI models, check out this report from McKinsey & Company.
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Bharat GPT, Ankush Sabharwal, sovereign AI, India AI Impact Summit, enterprise AI, indigenous data, domain-specific AI, edge computing, ChatGPT, Gemini
